Conventional deodorant and antiperspirant containers use an elevator/screw system to dispense product, in what is commonly referred to as a “swivel-up” configuration. Such a container is typically equipped with an elevator, disposed within a body of the container, and having a screw in threaded engagement with the elevator. A knob is accessible on the bottom of the exterior of the container, for use by a consumer to rotate the screw. During use, the knob is turned by the consumer to rotate the screw and move the elevator towards the top of the container, thus pushing up the product.
One method of manufacturing and filling swivel-up type containers is known as an open bottom fill process. In accordance with this method, an annular side wall having an oval or circular cross-section is provided, and a removable cap, of the same cross-section, is provided on the top of the side wall. The cap has a smooth concave inner surface which is adapted to function as a mold in forming the top of the product or, alternatively, a foil or other factory seal is provided for that purpose. The product, in its molten or liquid state, is poured into the product chamber from the bottom of the side wall. While the product is still in a molten or liquid form within the product chamber, a base, to which an elevator/screw system has previously been movably coupled, is attached to the bottom of the side wall through use of adhesives, welding or otherwise. The product and container are then allowed to cool, whereby the product takes on a desired shape. The present inventors have recognized, however, that attachment of the base to the bottom of the side wall in this manner results in excessive piece parts, manufacturing complexity and cost, and presents a visible seam or witness line where the base is welded or adhered to the bottom of the side wall, that is aesthetically displeasing to consumers.
Another method of manufacturing and filling swivel-up type containers is known as a closed bottom fill process. In accordance with this method, an annular side wall having an oval or circular cross-section is provided. A base is formed as a unitary structure with a bottom end of the side wall and defines an opening. An elevator is inserted through a top opening defined by the side wall, and a screw is inserted through the opening in the base and into threaded engagement with the elevator. A removable cap is provided on the top of the side wall. The cap has a smooth concave inner surface which is adapted to function as a mold in forming the top of the product or, alternatively, a foil or other factory seal is provided for that purpose. The product, in its molten or liquid state, is poured into the product chamber through one or more opening(s) in a knob of an elevator/screw system, with a plug then optionally being inserted into the knob to block the opening(s). The product and container are then allowed to cool, whereby the product takes on a desired shape. The present inventors have recognized, however, that pouring of product through one or more openings in a knob of an elevator/screw system can result in filling inefficiencies and disadvantages, such as excessive turbulence and splashing of product within the product chamber. Additionally, the present inventors have recognized that, unlike the open bottom fill process described above and the top fill process described below, this closed bottom fill process requires the knob of an elevator/screw system to provide a flow area that is sufficient to accommodate the pouring of product into the product chamber, i.e., an open configuration, thus preventing use of certain knob configurations that might otherwise provide ergonomic, aesthetic, efficiency, and/or other advantages. Furthermore, the present inventors have recognized that this closed bottom fill process is not effective for use with less viscous products (e.g., soft solid type products as described below), due to a tendency of the less viscous products to leak from the container, through the opening(s) in the knob, during use of the container by a consumer to dispense product onto the skin. Accordingly, the present inventors have recognized that less viscous products would conventionally require either the open bottom fill process described above or the top fill process described below.
Another method of manufacturing and filling swivel-up type containers is known as the fill/invert or top fill process. This method involves a container having an oval or circular cross-section, but with a closed bottom already having an elevator/screw system attached. The product is poured into the container from the top, and the top of the container is then sealed by a cap having a smooth concave inner surface for molding the end of the product. The container is then inverted so that some of the molten or liquid product flows from the bottom of the container to the top of the container, to fill the volume intermediate the original fill line and the cap. The container is kept in this position during cooling. An advantage of the top fill process over the open bottom fill process, is that the container of the top fill process does not have a seam that presents a witness line, as discussed above. Another advantage of the top fill process over the open bottom fill process, is that the container of the top fill process can better seal the product within the container to prevent evaporation of the product during storage of the container.
The inventors have recognized a need for greater flexibility in the design and manufacture of a “swivel-up” container. For example, the inventors have recognized a need for a simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-manufacture container, that does not provide any witness line, that provides flexibility in design of the knob, that can be filled using any of a plurality of fill processes and with a variety of different products, and that can facilitate multiple sealing and elevator configurations. For example, the inventors have recognized a need for a container that can be filled either using a closed bottom fill process or an open bottom fill process. As another example, the inventors have recognized a need for a container that can be filled using either a bottom fill process (closed and/or open) or a top fill process.